Welding system parameter comparison system and method

ABSTRACT

A metal fabrication resource performance monitoring method, includes accessing data representative of a parameter sampled during a metal fabrication operation of a metal fabrication resource, the resource being selectable by a user from a listing of individual and groups of resources. Via at least one computer processor, the accessed parameter is processed to determine an analyzed system parameter, and a user viewable dashboard page is populated with graphical indicia representative of the analyzed system parameter, and transmitted the user viewable dashboard page to a user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/842,845, entitled “WELDING SYSTEMPARAMETER COMPARISON SYSTEM AND METHOD,” filed Jul. 3, 2013, which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates generally to metal fabrication including heatingsystems, cutting systems, welding systems and support equipment forheating, cutting, and welding operations. In particular, the inventionrelates to techniques for determining and presenting parameters fromacquired data from such systems.

A wide range of welding systems have been developed, along withancillary and support equipment for various fabrication, repair, andother applications. For example, welding systems are ubiquitousthroughout industry for assembling parts, structures and sub-structures,frames, and many components. These systems may be manual, automated orsemi-automated. A modern manufacturing and fabrication entity may use alarge number of metal fabrication systems, and these may be grouped bylocation, task, job, and so forth. Smaller operations may use metalfabrication systems from time to time, but these are often neverthelesscritical to their operations. For some entities and individuals, metalfabrication systems may be stationary or mobile, such as mounted oncarts, trucks, and repair vehicles. In all of these scenarios it isincreasingly useful to set performance criteria, monitor performance,analyze performance, and, wherein possible, report performance to theoperator and/or to management teams and engineers. Such analysis allowsfor planning of resources, determinations of prices and profitability,scheduling of resources, enterprise-wide accountability, among manyother uses.

Systems designed to gather, store, analyze and report welding systemperformance have not, however, reached a point where they are easily andeffectively utilized. In some entities limited tracking of welds, weldquality, and system and operator performance may be available. However,these do not typically allow for any significant degree of analysis,tracking or comparison. Improvements are needed in such tools. Morespecifically, improvements would be useful that allow for data to begathered at one or multiple locations and from one or multiple systems,analysis performed, and reports generated and presented at the same orother locations. Other improvements might include the ability toretrospectively review performance, and to see performance compared togoals and similar systems across groups and entities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure sets forth systems and methods designed torespond to such needs. In accordance with certain aspects of thedisclosure, a metal fabrication resource performance monitoring method,includes accessing data representative of a parameter sampled during ametal fabrication operation of a metal fabrication resource, theresource being selectable by a user from a listing of individual andgroups of resources. Via at least one computer processor, the accessedparameter is processed to determine an analyzed system parameter, and auser viewable dashboard page is populated with graphical indiciarepresentative of the analyzed system parameter, and transmitted theuser viewable dashboard page to a user.

Also disclosed is a metal fabrication resource performance monitoringsystem, including a communications component that in operation accessesdata representative of a parameter sampled during a metal fabricationoperation of a metal fabrication resource, the resource being selectableby a user from a listing of individual and groups of resources. At leastone computer processor processes the accessed parameter to determine ananalyzed system parameter, and populates a user viewable dashboard pagewith graphical indicia representative of the analyzed system parameter.A transmission component transits the user viewable dashboard page to auser.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood when the following detaileddescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichlike characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical representation of exemplary monitoring systemfor gathering information, storing information, analyzing theinformation, and presenting analysis results in accordance with aspectsof the present disclosure, here applied to a large manufacturing andfabrication entity;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical view of an application of the system for asingle or mobile welding system with which the techniques may beapplied;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical representation of an exemplary cloud-basedimplementation of the system;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatical view of an exemplary welding system of thetype that might be monitored and analyzed in accordance with thetechniques;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatical representation of certain functionalcomponents of the monitoring and analysis system;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary web page view for reporting of a goals andperformance of welding systems via the system;

FIG. 7 is another exemplary web page view illustrating an interface forsetting such goals;

FIG. 8 is a further exemplary web page view of a goal setting interface;

FIG. 9 is an exemplary web page view of an interface for tracingparameters of a particular weld or system;

FIG. 10 is an exemplary web page view listing historical welds that maybe analyzed and presented;

FIG. 11 is an exemplary web page view of historical traces available viathe system;

FIG. 12 is an exemplary web page view of a status interface allowing forselection of systems and groups of systems for comparison;

FIG. 13 is an exemplary web page view of a comparison of systems andgroups of systems selected via the interface of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an exemplary web page view of a dashboard page of analyzedsystem parameters determined by the system;

FIG. 15 is an exemplary web page view of a report page of a comparisonof determined analyzed system parameters to goal analyzed systemparameters; and

FIG. 16 is an exemplary web page view of a report page of a comparisonbetween shifts of determined analyzed system parameters over a timeperiod.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As illustrated generally in FIG. 1, a monitoring system 10 allows formonitoring and analysis of one or multiple metal fabrication systems andsupport equipment. In this view, multiple welding systems 12 and 14 maybe interacted with, as may be support equipment 16. The welding systemsand support equipment may be physically and/or analytically grouped asindicated generally by reference numeral 18. Such grouping may allow forenhanced data gathering, data analysis, comparison, and so forth. Asdescribed in greater detail below, even where groupings are not physical(i.e., the systems are not physically located near one another), highlyflexible groupings may be formed at any time through use of the presenttechniques. In the illustrated embodiment, the equipment is furthergrouped in a department or location as indicated by reference numeral20. Other departments and locations may be similarly associated asindicated by reference numeral 22. As will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art, in sophisticated manufacturing and fabricationentities, different locations, facilities, factories, plants, and soforth may be situated in various parts of the same country, orinternationally. The present techniques allow for collection of systemdata from all such systems regardless of their location. Moreover, thegroupings into such departments, locations and other equipment sets arehighly flexible, regardless of the actual location of the equipment.

In general, as represented in FIG. 1, the system includes amonitoring/analysis system 24 that communicates with the monitoringwelding systems and support equipment, and that can collect informationfrom these when desired. A number of different scenarios may beenvisaged for accessing and collecting the information. For example,certain welding systems and support equipment will be provided withsensors, control circuitry, feedback circuits, and so forth that allowfor collection of welding parameter data. Some details of such systemsare described below. Where system parameters such as arc on time areanalyzed, for example, data may be collected in each system reflectingwhen welding arcs are established and times during which welding arcsare maintained. Currents and voltages will commonly be sensed and datarepresentative of these will be stored. For support equipment, such asgrinders, lights, positioners, fixtures, and so forth, differentparameters may be monitored, such as currents, switch closures, and soforth.

As noted, many systems will be capable of collecting such data andstoring the data within the system itself. In other scenarios, localnetworks, computer systems, servers, shared memory, and so forth will beprovided that can centralize at least at some extent the data collected.Such networks and support components are not illustrated in FIG. 1 forclarity. The monitoring/analysis system 24, then, may collect thisinformation directly from the systems or from any support component thatthemselves collect and store the data. The data will typically be taggedwith such identifying information as system designations, system types,time and date, part and weld specification, where applicable, operatorand/or shift identifications, and so forth. Many such parameters may bemonitored on a regular basis and maintained in the system. Themonitoring/analysis system 24 may itself store such information, or maymake use of extraneous memory.

As described more fully below, the system allows for grouping of theinformation, analysis of the information, and presentation of theinformation via one or more operator interfaces 26. In many cases theoperator interface may comprise a conventional computer workstation, ahandheld device, a tablet computer, or any other suitable interface. Itis presently contemplated that a number of different device platformsmay be accommodated, and web pages containing useful interfaces,analysis, reports, and the like will be presented in a general purposeinterface, such as a browser. It is contemplated that, althoughdifferent device platforms may use different data transmission anddisplay standards, the system is generally platform-agnostic, allowingreports and summaries of monitored and analyzed data to be requested andpresented on any of a variety of devices, such as desktop workstations,laptop computers, tablet computers, hand-held devices and telephones,and so forth. The system may include verification and authenticationfeatures, such as by prompting for user names, passwords, and so forth.

The system may be designed for a wide range of welding system types,scenarios, applications, and numbers. While FIG. 1 illustrates ascenario that might occur in a large manufacturing or fabricationfacility or entity, the system may equally well applied to much smallerapplications, and even to individual welders. As shown in FIG. 2, forexample, even welders that operate independently and in mobile settingsmay be accommodated. The application illustrated of FIG. 2 is anengine-driven generator/welder 28 provided in a truck or work vehicle.In these scenarios, it is contemplated that data may be collected by oneof several mechanisms. The welder itself may be capable of transmittingthe data wirelessly via its own communications circuitry, or maycommunicate data via a device connected to the welding system, such ascommunications circuits within the vehicle, a smart phone, a tablet orlaptop computers, and so forth. The system could also be tethered to adata collection point when it arrives at a specified location. In theillustration of FIG. 2 a removable memory device 30, such as a flashdrive may be provided that can collect the information from the systemand move the information into a monitoring/analysis system 32. Insmaller applications of this type, the system may be particularlydesigned for reduced data sets, and analysis that would be more usefulto the welding operators and entities involved. It should be apparent tothose skilled in the art, then, that the system can be scaled andadapted to any one of a wide range of use cases.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary implementation, for example, which iscloud-based. This implementation is presently contemplated for manyscenarios in which data collection, storage, and analysis are performedremotely, such as on a subscription or paid service basis. Here themonitored welding system and support equipment 34 communicate directlyand indirectly with one or more cloud data storage and services entities36. The entities may take any desired form, and significant enhancementsin such services are occurring and will continue to occur in comingyears. It is contemplated, for example, that a third party provider maycontract with a fabricating or manufacturing entity to collectinformation from the systems, store the information off-site, andperform processing on the information that allows for the analysis andreporting described below. The operator interfaces 26 may be similar tothose discussed above, but would typically be addressed to (“hit”) awebsite for the cloud-based service. Following authentication, then, webpages may be served that allow for the desired monitoring, analysis andpresentation. The cloud-based services would therefore includecomponents such as communications devices, memory devices, servers, dataprocessing and analysis hardware and software, and so forth.

As noted above, many different types and configurations of weldingsystems may be accommodated by the present techniques. Those skilled inthe welding arts will readily appreciate that certain such systems havebecome standards throughout industry. These include, for example,systems commonly referred to as gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gastungsten gas arc welding (GTAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW),submerged arc welding (SAW), laser, and stud welding systems to mentiononly a few. All such systems rely on application of energy to workpiecesand electrodes to at least partially melt and fuse metals. The systemsmay be used with or without filler metal, but most systems common inindustry do use some form of filler metal which is either machine orhand fed. Moreover, certain systems may be used with other materialsthan metals, and these systems, too, are intended to be serviced whereappropriate by the present techniques.

By way of example only, FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary welding system12, in this case a MIG welding system. The system includes a powersupply that receives incoming power, such as from a generator or thepower grid and converts the incoming power to weld power. Powerconversion circuitry 38 allows for such conversion, and will typicallyinclude power electronic devices that are controlled to provide alteringcurrent (AC), direct current, pulsed or other waveforms as defined bywelding processes and procedures. The power conversion circuitry willtypically be controlled by control and processing circuitry 40. Suchcircuitry will be supported by memory (not separately shown) that storeswelding process definitions, operator-set parameters, and so forth. In atypical system, such parameters may be set via an operator interface 42.The systems will include some type of data or network interface asindicated at reference numeral 44. In many such systems this circuitrywill be included in the power supply, although it could be located in aseparate device. The system allows for performing welding operations,collecting both control and actual data (e.g., feedback of voltages,currents, wire feed speeds, etc.). Where desired, certain of this datamay be stored in a removable memory 46. In many systems, however, theinformation will be stored in the same memory devices that support thecontrol and processing circuitry 40.

In the case of a MIG system, a separate wire feeder 48 may be provided.The components of the wire feeder are illustrated here in dashed linesbecause some systems may optionally use wire feeders. The illustratedsystem, again, intended only to be exemplary. Such wire feeders, whereutilized typically include a spool of welding wire electrode wire 50 anda drive mechanism 52 that contacts and drives the wire under the controlof a drive control circuitry 54. The drive control circuitry may be setto provide a desired wire feed speed in a conventional manner. In atypical MIG system a gas valve 56 will allow for control of the flow ofthe shield and gas. Setting on the wire feeder may be made via anoperator interface 58. The welding wire, gas, and power is provided by aweld cable as indicated diagrammatically at reference numeral 60, and areturn cable (sometimes referred to as a ground cable) 62. The returncable is commonly coupled to a workpiece via a clamp and the power,wire, and gas supplied via the weld cable to a welding torch 64.

Here again, it should be noted that the system of FIG. 4 is exemplaryonly, the present techniques allow for monitoring and analysis ofperformance of these types of cutting, heating, and welding systems, aswell as others. Indeed, the same monitoring analysis system may collectdata from different types, makes, sizes, and versions of metalfabrication systems. The data collected and analyzed may relate todifferent processes and weld procedures on the same or differentsystems. Moreover, as discussed above, data may be collected fromsupport equipment used in, around or with the metal fabrication systems.

FIG. 5 illustrates certain functional components that may typically befound in the monitoring/analysis system. In the notation used in FIG. 5,these components will be located in a cloud-based service entity,although similar components may be included in any one of theimplementations of the system. The components may include, for example,data collection components 68 that receive data from systems andentities. The data collection components may “pull” the data byprompting data exchange with the systems, or may work on a “push” basiswhere data is provided to the data collection components by the systemswithout prompting (e.g., at the initiation of the welding system,network device, or management system to which the equipment isconnected). The data collection may occur at any desired frequency, orat points in time that are not cyclic. For example, data may becollected on an occasional basis as welding operations are performed, ordata may be provided periodically, such as on a shift basis, a dailybasis, a weekly basis, or simple as desired by a welding operator orfacilities management team. The systems will also include memory 70 thatstore raw and/or processed data collected from the systems.Analysis/reporting components 72 allow for processing of the raw data,and associating the resulting analysis with systems, entities, groups,welding operators, and so forth. Examples of the analysis and reportingcomponent operations are provided in greater detail below. Finally,communications components 74 allow for populating reports and interfacepages with the results of the analysis. A wide range of such pages maybe provided as indicated by reference numeral 76 in FIG. 5, some ofwhich are described in detail below. The communications components 74may thus include various servers, modems, Internet interfaces, web pagedefinitions, and the like.

As noted above, the present techniques allow for a wide range of data tobe collected from welding systems and support equipment for setup,configuration, storage, analysis, tracking, monitoring, comparison andso forth. In the presently contemplated embodiments this information issummarized in a series of interface pages that may be configured as webpages that can be provided to and viewed on a general purpose browser.In practice, however, any suitable interface may be used. The use ofgeneral purpose browsers and similar interfaces, however, allows for thedata to be served to any range of device platforms and different typesof devices, including stationary workstations, enterprise systems, butalso mobile and handheld devices as mentioned above. FIGS. 6-13illustrate exemplary interface pages that may be provided for a range ofuses.

Referring first to FIG. 6, a goal report page 78 is illustrated. Thispage allows for the display of one or more welding system and supportequipment designations as well as performance analysis based upon goalsset for the systems. In the page illustrated in FIG. 6, a number ofwelding systems and support equipment are identified as indicated atreference numeral 80. These may be associated in groups as indicated byreference numeral 82. In practice, the data underlying all of theanalyses discussed in the present disclosure are associated withindividual systems. These may be freely associated with one another,then, by the interface tools. In the illustrated example, a location ordepartment 84 has been created with several groups designated within thelocation. Each of these groups, then, may include one or more weldingsystems and any other equipment as shown in the figure. The presentembodiment allows for free association of these systems so that usefulanalysis of individual systems, groups of systems, locations, and soforth may be performed. The systems and support equipment may be in asingle physical proximity, but this need not be the case. Groups may becreated for example, based on system type, work schedules, productionand products, and so forth. In systems where operators provide personalidentification information, this information may be tracked in additionto or instead of system information.

In the illustrated embodiment status indicators are illustrated forconveying the current operational status of the monitored systems andequipment. These indicators, as designated by reference numeral 86, mayindicate, for example, active systems, idle systems, disconnectedsystems, errors, notifications, and so forth. Where system status can bemonitored on a real-time or near real-time basis, such indicators mayprovide useful feedback to management personnel on the current status ofthe equipment. The particular information illustrated in FIG. 6 isobtained, in the present implementation, by selecting (e.g., clickingon) a goals tab 88. The information presented may be associated inuseful time slots or durations, such as successive weeks of use asindicated by reference numeral 90. Any suitable time period mayutilized, such as hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, shift-baseddesignations, and so forth.

The page 78 also presents the results of analysis of each of a range ofperformance criteria based upon goals set for the system or systemsselected. In the illustrated example a welding system has been selectedas indicated by the check mark in the equipment tree on the left, andperformance on the basis of several criteria is presented in bar chartform. In this example, a number of monitored criteria are indicated,such as arc on time, deposition, arc starts, spatter, and grinding time.A goal has been set for the particular system as discussed below, andthe performance of the system as compared to this goal is indicated bythe bars for each monitored parameter. It should be noted that certainof the parameters may be positive in convention while others may benegative. That is, by way of example, for arc on times, representing theportion of the working time in which a welding arc is established andmaintained, a percentage of goal exceeding the set standard may bebeneficial or desirable. For other parameters, such as spatter,exceeding a goal may actually be detrimental to work quality. Asdiscussed below, the present implementation allows for designation ofwhether the analysis and presentation may consider these conventionallypositive or conventionally negative. The resulting presentations 94allow for readily visualizing the actual performance as compared to thepre-established goals.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary goal editing page 96. Certain fields maybe provided that allow for setting of standard or commonly used goals,or specific goals for specific purposes. For example, a name of the goalmay be designated in a field 98. The other information pertaining tothis name may be stored for use in analyzing the same or differentsystems. As indicated by reference numeral 100, the illustrated pageallows for setting a standard for the goal, such as arc on time. Otherstandards and parameters may be specified so long as data may becollected that either directly or indirectly indicates the desiredstandard (i.e., allows for establishment of a value for comparison andpresentation). A convention for the goal may be set as indicated atreference numeral 102. That is, as discussed above, certain goals it maybe desired or beneficial that the established goal define a maximumvalue targeted, while other goals may establish a minimum valuetargeted. A target 104 may then be established, such as on a numericalpercentage basis, an objective (e.g., unit) basis, relative basis, orany other useful basis. Further fields, such as a shift field 106 may beprovided. Still further, in some implementations it may be useful tobegin goal or standard setting with an exemplary weld known to have beendone and possess characteristics that are acceptable. Goals may then beset with this as a standard, or with one or more parameters set based onthis weld (e.g., +/−20%).

FIG. 8 illustrates a goal setting page 108 that may take establishedgoals set by pages such as that illustrated in FIG. 7 and apply them tospecific equipment. In the page 108 of FIG. 8, a welding systemdesignated “bottom welder” has been selected as indicated by the checkmark to the left. The system identification 110 appears in the page. Amenu of goals or standards is then displayed as indicated by referencenumeral 112. In this example, selections include placing no goal on theequipment, inheriting certain goals set for a particular location (orother logical grouping), selecting a predefined goal (such as a goalestablished by a page such as thus shown in FIG. 7), and establishing acustom goal for the equipment.

The present techniques also allow for storing and analyzing certainperformance parameters of systems in tracking or trace views. Theseviews can be extremely informative in terms of specific welds,performance over certain periods of time, performance by particularoperators, performance on particular jobs or parts, and so forth. Anexemplary weld trace page 114 is illustrated in FIG. 9. As indicated onthis page, a range of equipment may be selected as indicated on the leftof the page, with one particular system being currently selected asindicated by reference numeral 116. Once selected, in thisimplementation a range of data relating to this particular system isdisplayed as indicated by reference numeral 118. This information may bedrawn from the system or from archived data for the system, such aswithin an organization, within a cloud resource, and so forth. Certainstatistical data may be aggregated and displayed as indicated atreference numeral 120.

The weld trace page also includes a graphical presentation of traces ofcertain monitor parameters that may be of particular interest. The weldtrace section 122, in this example, shows several parameters 124 graphedas a function of time along a horizontal access 126. In this particularexample, the parameters include wire feed speed, current, and volts. Theweld for which the cases are illustrated in the example had duration ofapproximately 8 seconds. During this time the monitored parameterschanged, and data reflective of these parameters was sampled and stored.The individual traces 128 for each parameter are then generated andpresented to the user. Further, in this example by a “mouse over” orother input the system may display the particular value for one or moreparameters at a specific point in time as indicated by reference numeral130.

The trace pages may be populated, as may any of the pages discussed inthe present disclosure, in advance or upon demand by a user. This beingthe case, the trace pages for any number of systems, and specific weldsmay be stored for later analysis and presentation. A history page 132may thus be compiled, such as illustrated in FIG. 10. In the historypage illustrated, a list of welds performed on a selected system 116 (orcombination of selected systems) is presented as indicated by referencenumeral 134. These welds may be identified by times, system, duration,weld parameters, and so forth. Moreover, such lists may be compiled forspecific operators, specific products and articles of manufacture, andso forth. In the illustrated embodiment, a particular weld has beenselected by the user as indicated at reference numeral 136.

FIG. 11 illustrates an historical trace page 138 that may be displayedfollowing selection of the particular weld 136. In this view, anidentification of the system, along with the time and date, are providedas indicated by reference numeral 140. Here again, monitored parametersare identified as indicated by reference numeral 124, and a time axis126 is provided along which traces 128 are displayed. As will beappreciated by those skilled in the art, the ability to store andcompile such analyses may be significantly useful in evaluating systemperformance, operator performance, performance on particular parts,performance of departments and facilities, and so forth.

Still further, the present techniques allow for comparisons betweenequipment on a wide range of bases. Indeed, systems may be compared, andpresentations resulting from the comparison may be provided any suitableparameter that may form the basis for such comparisons. An exemplarycomparison selection page 142 is illustrated in FIG. 12. As shown inthis page, multiple systems 80 are again grouped into groups 82 for afacilities or locations 84. Status indicators 86 may be provided for theindividual systems or groups. The status page illustrated in FIG. 12 maythen serve as the basis for selecting systems for comparison asillustrated in FIG. 13. Here, the same systems and groups are availablefor selection and comparison. The comparison page 144 displays thesesystems and allows users to click or select individual systems, groups,or any sub-group that is created at will. That is, while an entire groupof systems may be selected, the user may select individual systems orindividual groups as indicated by reference numeral 146. A comparisonsection 148 is provided in which a time base for a comparison may beselected, such as on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or any otherrange. Once selected, then, desired parameters are compared for theindividual systems, with the systems being identified as indicated atreference numeral 152, and the comparisons being made and in this casegraphically displayed as indicated by reference numeral 154. In theillustrated example, for example, system on time has been selected as abasis for the comparison. Data for each individual system reflective ofthe respective on time of the system has been analyzed and presented ina percentage basis by a horizontal bar. Other comparisons may be madedirectly between the systems, such as to indicate that one system hasoutperformed another on the basis of the selected parameter. More thanone parameter could be selected in certain embodiments, and these may bebased on raw, processed or calculated values.

The monitoring/analysis system 24 processes acquired data from one ormore groups 18 of welding systems 12 and support equipment 16. Asdiscussed above, the acquired data includes, but is not limited to,currents, voltages, systems activation time, arc starts, arc duration,wire feed rate, switch closures, and so forth. The monitoring/analysissystem 24 presents this acquired data to the operator via the operatorinterface 26. The acquired data may be compared to goals stored in thememory 70. In addition to processing and presenting the acquired dataand stored goals via the operator interface 26, presently contemplatedembodiments of the monitoring/analysis system 24 analyze the acquireddata and present analyzed system parameters, such as arc on timepercentage (e.g., arc on %) and deposition (e.g., deposition quantity,deposition rate). The analyzed system parameters produced by themonitoring/analysis system 24 are calculated values that facilitatecomparisons between welding systems 12 or groups 82 of welding systems12, comparisons between operators and shifts, and/or comparisons betweendepartments/locations 20. In some embodiments, the monitoring/analysissystem 24 may automatically present one or more analyzed systemparameters on a page 76 (e.g., start-up screen or “dashboard”) withoutuser instructions to do so, thereby enabling an operator to evaluateperformance upon viewing the page 76 without additional inputs to theoperator interface 26. Automatic determination of the analyzed systemparameters eliminates a step by the user to perform calculationsseparately, such as with a calculator, mentally, or by hand.Accordingly, the user may evaluate the performance more quickly than ifthe analyzed system parameters were not automatically determined andpresented.

The analyzed system parameters may include arc on time percentage (e.g.,arc on %) and deposition. The arc on % for one or more welding systems12 during a time period (e.g., day, shift, week, month) may bedetermined from Equation (1):Arc On%=T _(arc on) /T _(work)  Equation (1)where T_(work) is the cumulative working time that the one or morewelding systems 12 are powered on (e.g., ready to supply an arc to atorch) during the time period, and T_(arc on) is the cumulative timethat the one or more welding systems 12 have an active arc during thetime period. The arc on % value may be useful as a metric to evaluateand compare welding experience of a first group of one or more weldingoperators to a second group of one or more welding operators. Forexample, the arc on % for an experienced welder performing a first weldwith a first welding system 12 may be greater than the arc on % for aless experienced welder for the first weld with the first welding system12. In some embodiments, the arc on % value may be used to evaluate andcompare the welding proficiency of one or more welding operators usingone or more welding systems 12 during a first time period to the sameone or more operators using the same one or more welding systems 12during a second time period. The arc on % value may also be useful as ametric to evaluate and compare the efficiency and/or productivity of thefirst group to a second group, or the first group to itself between afirst time period and a second time period. For example, a drop in arcon % from a first time period to the second time period may indicate theoccurrence of an event (e.g., increased complexity, welder distraction,welding error) during the time period for a system administrator ormanager to investigate. The monitoring/analysis system 24 may present ona user viewable page 76 comparisons of arc on % value between the firstgroup and the second group and/or comparisons of arc on % value betweena first group during a first time period and the first group during asecond time period. In some embodiments, the arc on % value may beuseful as a metric to evaluate multiple welding systems 12 by comparingthe arc on % between a first group of welding systems 12 and a secondgroup of welding systems 12 where both are utilized by the sameoperators.

The deposition for a welding system 12 during a time period may bedetermined from Equation (2):Deposition(quantity)=WFS*d*T _(arc on)  Equation (2)where WFS is the wire feed speed (e.g., inches per minute), d is thewire density (e.g., pounds per inch), and T_(arc on) is the cumulativetime (e.g., minutes) that the welding system 12 has an active arc duringthe time period. The WFS, wire density, and/or wire diameter may beentered by a user. In some embodiments, the welding system 12 determinesthe WFS based on weld parameters (e.g., current, voltage, materials).Additionally or in the alternative, some embodiments of the weldingsystem 12 may determine the wire diameter. The WFS and d may vary basedat least in part on the characteristics (e.g., materials, width, wirediameter) of the weld. The monitoring/analysis system 24 may determinethe deposition value as the total amount (e.g., weight) of wiredeposited during a time period or a rate of deposition per minute or perhour during T_(work). The deposition rate may be determined by dividingthe deposition quantity from Equation (2) by the cumulative working timethat the welding system 12 is powered on (T_(work)).

FIG. 14 illustrates an embodiment of a dashboard page 200 presenting thearc on % and deposition as analyzed system parameters. The dashboardpage 200 may be a page 76 presented to the user upon initiating asession with the monitoring/analysis system 24 via the operatorinterface 26. In some embodiments, an operator may configure thedashboard page 200 to present the analyzed system parameters for one ormore welding systems 80 utilized by one or more operators (e.g.,shifts). For example, the dashboard page 200 of FIG. 14 presents theanalyzed system parameters of arc on time percentage and deposition fortwo selected welding systems 80 utilized over several shifts in a timeperiod 210. The operator may configure the dashboard page 200 to presentanalyzed system parameters in various graphs, tables, lists, and soforth arranged at various customizable locations about the dashboardpage 200. The analyzed system parameters may be presented for comparisonand evaluation of one or more welding systems 80 over one or more timeperiods 210. More complete descriptions of such arrangements of analyzedsystem parameters about the dashboard page 200 is provided, for example,in U.S. application no. 2009/0313549, entitled Configurable WeldingInterface for Automated Welding Applications, filed by Casner et al. onJun. 16, 2008.

An arc on percentage graph 202 and/or an arc on percentage table 204present the arc on % for a first welding system 206 and a second weldingsystem 208 for multiple shifts during the time period 210, which may bea particular day, week, month, etc. A deposition graph 212 and/or adeposition table 214 present the deposition for the first welding system206 and the second welding system 208 for multiple shifts during thetime period 210. In some embodiments, the dashboard page 200 may presentvarious combinations of the arc on percentage graph 202, the arc onpercentage table 204, the deposition graph 212, the deposition table214, and other representations of analyzed system parameters. Theoperator may configure the arrangement and composition of the dashboardpage 200 via the configuration tab 216.

The arc on percentage graph 202 presents graphical representations 218for the arc on % for each selected shift (e.g., shift A, shift B, shiftC) utilizing the first welding system 206 and the second welding system208 during the time period 210 or time range. The arc on percentagegraph 202 may also present a value for the total arc on % for the timeperiod 210 over the selected shifts. The arc on percentage graph 202enables a viewer of the dashboard page 200 to readily compare the arc on% values for each respective shift and respective machine to identifyissues for further review. The arc on percentage table 204 presentsnumerical values 220 for the arc on time percentage for each selectedshift utilizing at least the first and second welding systems 206, 208during the time period 210. In some embodiments, the arc on percentagetable 204 presents acquired data 222 utilized to generate the analyzedsystem parameter 220. The arc on time percentage 220 and acquired data222 presented together may provide the user viewing the dashboard page200 a more complete review of a status of the first and second weldingsystems 206, 208 during the time period 210 than either the arc on timepercentage 220 or the acquired data 222 alone. For example, thedashboard page 200 illustrates an embodiment in which the arc on % valuefor shift A utilizing the first welding system 206 is less than the arcon % value for shifts B and C. Upon noticing the difference, the viewermay investigate a cause by reviewing the acquired data 222, one or morereports (e.g., via a reports tab 224), and/or a list of events (e.g.,via events page 226).

The deposition graph 212 may present a quantity of a welding wiredeposited and/or a deposition rate for the selected first and secondwelding machines 206, 208 during the time period 210. The depositiongraph 212 of the deposition rate for the first and second weldingsystems 206, 208 may have similar shapes. For example, the depositiongraph 212 may have approximately the same shape as the arc on % graph202 where the wire diameter and the density per unit length of the wirefor each welding machine scale the deposition graph 212 relative to thearc on % graph 202. As shown in the deposition table 214, the firstwelding system 206 may deposit a greater quantity (e.g., approximately50%) of welding wire during the time period 210 than the second weldingsystem 208 despite that the first and the second welding systems 206,208 have substantially the same arc on % values over the time period210. The scale difference in the deposition graph 212 may be based atleast in part on a difference in the wire diameter and density per unitlength of the welding wire (e.g., welding wire diameter of first weldingsystem 206 is greater than welding wire diameter of second weldingsystem 208) and/or a difference in the WFS between the welding systems(e.g., WFS of the first welding system 206 is greater than the WFS ofthe second welding system 208). The deposition table 214 presents thedeposition quantity 228 (e.g., lb) and deposition rate 230 (e.g.,lbs/hr) for each shift of the first and the second welding system 206,208 during the time period 210. The deposition table 214 may present thetotal deposition quantity 228 for the time period 210 from the shifts,and/or may present the average deposition rate for each welding systemover the time period 210.

FIG. 15 illustrates a reports page 240 that may facilitate comparinggoals of analyzed system parameters stored in memory for one or moreselected systems to determined analyzed system parameters of the one ormore selected systems over one or more time periods. The variousindividual systems or groups 146 of welding systems 242 are availablefor selection and comparison. The reports page 240 displays thesesystems and allows users to click or select individual systems, groups,or any sub-group that is created at will. That is, while an entire group146 of systems may be selected, the user may select individual systemsor individual groups as indicated by reference numeral 244. A reportssection 246 is provided in which a range of time periods 210 for acomparison may be selected, such as on an hourly, daily, weekly, ormonthly basis, or any other range. Once the systems 242 and a timeperiod 210 are selected, then, determined analyzed system parameters(e.g., arc on %, deposition) are compared to stored goals for theanalyzed system parameters for the selected individual systems orindividual groups 244.

In the illustrated example, arc on % has been selected as a basis forthe comparison. The determined arc on % data for the selected system 244is presented for each time period in a percentage basis by a verticalbar 248 adjacent to the goal arc on % value presented by a vertical bar250. As may be appreciated, the goal arc on % value may be different foreach time period. In some embodiments, the goal arc on % value ispresented as a line across the reports section 246, and the line mayillustrate a goal arc on % value for multiple time periods. In thereports page 240 shown in FIG. 15, the determined arc on % values meetor exceed the goal arc on % values for the dates Jul. 30-Aug. 1, 2013and Aug. 3, 2013 (e.g., Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday), andthe determined arc on % values fall short of the goal arc on % valuesfor the dates Jul. 29, 2013 and Aug. 2, 2013 (e.g., Monday and Friday).FIG. 15 illustrates an example for which the selected systems 244 wereutilized approximately in accordance with the stored goals for the datesJul. 29, 2013 to Aug. 1, 2013, the determined arc on % for the date Aug.2, 2013 fell short of the goal arc on %, and the selected system 244 wasutilized on the date Aug. 3, 2013 for which no goal arc on % was storedin memory or the goal arc on % was 0%. From the report page 240, theuser may observe that arc on % for the selected system 244 peaked in themiddle (e.g., Jul. 31, 2013) of the week, arc on % on Aug. 2, 2013(e.g., Friday) sharply decreased, or the selected system 244 wasutilized on Aug. 3, 2013 (e.g., Saturday), or any combination thereof.These observations may enable a user to adjust arc on % goals for theselected system 244 in view of productivity trends and/or to work withthe operators of the selected welding system 244 to improve arc on % onFridays and/or any given time for which productivity is decreasedrelative to other time periods. In some embodiments, themonitoring/analysis system 24 may analyze historic trends of analyzedsystem parameters relative to goals and generate projected trends forthe analyzed system parameters for future time periods. The projectedtrends may be stored as goals for the future time periods. In someembodiments, the projected trends may be based at least in part onexpected productivity improvements that affect the analyzed systemparameters. For example, projected trends may account for greaterproductivity improvements after supplemental training. As anotherexample, projected trends may be used to set arc on % goals for a shiftthat increase to a desired threshold, where the threshold is based atleast in part on shift experience and/or shift training time.

In some embodiments, the user may compare the determined arc on % forone or more welding systems 242 to stored goals over various time ranges252. The time ranges may include, but are not limited to hourly, daily,weekly, monthly, or any custom range. Through comparison of thedetermined analyzed system parameters to stored goals over various timeranges 252, the user may identify trends that may be useful for settinganalyzed system parameter goals. After identifying trends (e.g.,relative increase in arc on % to peak during middle of week and/ormiddle of shift, relative decrease in arc on % on Friday and/or end ofshift), the user may adjust individual goals for one or more timeperiods to encourage increased performance for each time period. Forexample, the arc on % goal for Wednesdays or the middle of a shift maybe set higher than the arc on % goal for Fridays or the end of a shift.

The user may compare determined analyzed system parameters for one ormore groups of operators (e.g., shifts) utilizing selected systems orgroups 244 of welding systems 242 over a time period 210. FIG. 16illustrates an embodiment of a report page 240 that compares the arc on% for the selected group 244, and the selected group 244 includesmultiple subgroups 254 of welding systems 242 that may be utilizedduring multiple shifts 256 (e.g., shift A, shift B, shift C). As may beappreciated, some welding systems 242 may be utilized by multiple shiftsand/or by multiple operators. The report page 240 presents the arc on %analyzed system parameter for each of the shifts 256 as bars 258 overthe selected time period 210 for comparison to one another.Additionally, or in the alternative, a report page 240 may present thedeposition quantity, deposition rate, or other analyzed system parameterfor multiple shifts or operators over the selected time period 210. Theuser may select a customized set of the groups 244 and the subgroups 254of welding systems 242 for comparison of respective analyzed systemparameters over the time period 210. In some embodiments, the user mayselect operators and/or shifts for comparison via a shift control 260.In some embodiments, the report page 240 may present acquired data fromthe time period 210 in addition to analyzed system parameters.Accordingly, the reports page may present analyzed system parameters formultiple types of comparisons.

In conclusion, the monitoring analysis circuitry may process theacquired data to determine the analyzed system parameters (e.g., arc on%, deposition, etc.) that are presented to a user. These analyzed systemparameters may be presented on an initial page (e.g., dashboard) viewedby the user, thereby facilitating easy and rapid review of the relativestatus of one or more welding systems. The analyzed system parametersmay be used for comparisons between welding systems, between weldingoperators, between a first group of welding systems to a second group ofwelding systems, between a first group of welding operators and a secondgroup of welding operators, and so forth. The comparisons (e.g.,graphical representations) may provide the user with more informationthan the acquired data alone. In some embodiments, themonitoring/analysis circuitry may facilitate visual comparisons ofanalyzed system parameters (e.g., arc on %, deposition) for a firstgroup of one or more welding systems to itself as utilized by the sameor different groups (e.g., shifts). The comparisons may be over apredefined time range (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly, monthly) or over auser defined time range. For example, the monitoring/analysis circuitrymay present a comparison of the arc on % for a first welding system usedby shift A over a week to the arc on % for the first welding system usedby shift B over the same week or a different week. In some embodiments,the monitoring/analysis circuitry may facilitate visual comparisons ofanalyzed system parameters (e.g., arc on %, deposition, etc.) for thefirst group of one or more welding systems to a second group of weldingsystems utilized by the same or different groups (e.g., shifts). Thecomparisons may be over a predefined time range or over a user definedtime range. For example, the monitoring/analysis circuitry may present acomparison of the deposition for a first welding system used by shift Aon a date to the deposition for a second welding system used by shift Aor shift B on the same or different date. As discussed above, theanalyzed system parameters are determined by the monitoring/analysiscircuitry at least in part from acquired data, while the analyzed systemparameters are not directly acquired from the one or more weldingsystems.

While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appendedclaims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fallwithin the true spirit of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A metal fabrication resource performancemonitoring method comprising: acquiring data representative of aplurality of parameters sampled during metal fabrication operations of aplurality of metal fabrication resources; via at least one computerprocessor, analyzing at least one of the plurality of the acquiredparameters for the plurality of metal fabrication resources; via the atleast one computer processor, populating a user viewable dashboard pagewith graphical indicia representative of at least one of the pluralityof the acquired parameters, comparing a first subset of the acquireddata to a second subset of the acquired data; and transmitting the userviewable dashboard page to a user viewable display.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein analyzing at least one of the plurality of the acquiredparameters for the plurality of metal fabrication resources thecomprises determining an arc on time percentage, a deposition quantity,or a deposition rate, or any combination thereof.
 3. The method of claim1, wherein analyzing at least one of the plurality of the acquiredparameters for the plurality of metal fabrication resources comprises:determining a first performance parameter from the plurality of theacquired parameters; comparing the first performance parameter to astored goal for the performance parameter; and populating the userviewable dashboard page with graphical indicia representative of thefirst performance parameter relative to the stored goal for theperformance parameter.
 4. The method of claim 1, comprising: analyzing asecond acquired parameter of the plurality of the acquired parameters;and populating the user viewable dashboard page with graphical indiciarepresentative of the second acquired parameter of the plurality of theacquired parameters.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first subsetof the acquired data corresponds to a first metal fabrication resource,and the second subset of the acquired data corresponds to a differentsecond metal fabrication resource.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein thefirst subset of the acquired data corresponds to a first metalfabrication resource over a first time period, and the second subset ofthe acquired data corresponds to the first metal fabrication resourceover a different second time period.
 7. A metal fabrication resourceperformance monitoring method comprising: acquiring data representativeof a plurality of parameters sampled during metal fabrication operationsof a plurality of operators using a plurality of metal fabricationresources; via at least one computer processor, analyzing at least oneof the plurality of acquired parameters for the plurality of metalfabrication resources; via the at least one computer processor,populating a user viewable dashboard page with graphical indiciarepresentative of at least one of the plurality of the acquiredparameters comparing a first group of operators of the plurality ofoperators to a second group of operators of the plurality of operators;and transmitting the user viewable dashboard page to a user viewabledisplay.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the acquired parameterscomprise work time and arc on time of the plurality of metal fabricationresources, wherein the graphical indicia are representative of arc ontime percentage, and wherein the arc on time percentage is determined bya ratio of the arc on time to the work time.
 9. The method of claim 8,comprising comparing the arc on time percentage to a stored goal for arcon time percentage.
 10. A metal fabrication resource performancemonitoring method comprising: acquiring data representative of aplurality of parameters sampled during metal fabrication operations of aplurality of operators using a plurality of metal fabrication resourcesover at least two shifts; via at least one computer processor analyzingat least one of the plurality of acquired parameters; via the at leastone computer processor, populating a user viewable dashboard page withgraphical indicia representative of the at least one of the plurality ofacquired parameters comparing between the at least two shifts; andtransmitting the user viewable dashboard page to a user viewabledisplay.
 11. The method of claim 10, comprising: determining adeposition, wherein the acquired data is representative of arc on time,a wire feed speed, and density of a wire, and wherein the deposition isbased at least in part on the arc on time, the wire feed speed, and thedensity of the wire; and populating the user viewable dashboard pagewith graphical indicia representative of deposition comparing betweenthe at least two shifts.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein thedeposition comprises a deposition rate.
 13. The method of claim 11,comprising comparing the deposition to a stored goal for deposition. 14.A metal fabrication resource performance monitoring interfacecomprising: at least one user viewable dashboard page defined bycomputer executed code transmitted to a user viewing device, thedashboard page comprising: user viewable indicia identifying a pluralityof metal fabrication resources from which data was acquired; andgraphical indicia representative of a parameter acquired from at leastone of the plurality of metal fabrication resources comparing a firstsubset of the acquired data to a second subset of the acquired data. 15.The interface of claim 14, wherein the code is executable by a processorfor viewing in a general purpose browser.
 16. The interface of claim 14,wherein the acquired parameter comprises arc on time percentage,deposition quantity, or deposition rate of the plurality of metalfabrication resources, or any combination thereof.
 17. The interface ofclaim 14, comprising at least one user viewable page configured topermit a user to select at least a time period for reporting and theparameter for comparison.
 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the userviewable dashboard page comprises a plurality of user-selectable buttonscomprising: a status button that causes a status of the plurality ofmetal fabrication resources to be displayed on the user viewabledashboard page when selected; a productivity button that causes one ormore productivity parameters determined from the first subset of theacquired data and the second subset of the acquired data to be displayedon the user viewable dashboard page when selected; and a goals buttonthat causes at least one of the acquired parameters to be displayedrelative to a stored goal for the acquired parameter on the userviewable dashboard page when selected.
 19. The method of claim 4,wherein the first subset of the acquired data corresponds to a firstgroup of metal fabrication resources, and wherein the second subset ofthe acquired data corresponds to a second group of metal fabricationresources.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first group of metalfabrication resources corresponds to a first shift, a first department,a first facility, or a first location, and wherein the second group ofmetal fabrication resources corresponds to a second shift, a seconddepartment, a second facility, or a second location.
 21. The method ofclaim 20, wherein the graphical indicia of the user viewable dashboardpage compare the first shift to the second shift, the first departmentto the second department, the first facility to the second facility, orthe first location to the second location, with regard to weldingproficiency, efficiency, or productivity, or any combination thereof.22. The method of claim 7, wherein the graphical indicia comprises aline graph, or a bar chart, or any combination thereof.
 23. The methodof claim 7, wherein the first group of operators corresponds to a firstshift and the second group of operators corresponds to a second shift.24. The method of claim 7, wherein the first group of operatorscorresponds to a first facility and the second group of operatorscorresponds to a second facility.
 25. The method of claim 7, whereinanalyzing at least one of the plurality of the acquired parameters forthe plurality of metal fabrication resources comprises determining anarc on time percentage, a deposition quantity, or a deposition rate, orany combination thereof.
 26. The method of claim 7, wherein analyzing atleast one of the plurality of the acquired parameters for the pluralityof metal fabrication resources comprises: determining a firstperformance parameter from the plurality of the acquired parameters;comparing the first performance parameter to a stored goal for theperformance parameter; and populating the user viewable dashboard pagewith graphical indicia representative of the first performance parameterrelative to the stored goal for the performance parameter.
 27. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the plurality of acquired parameterscomprise work time and arc on time, and wherein analyzing at least oneof the plurality of acquired parameters comprises determining an arc ontime percentage from the plurality of the acquired data, wherein the arcon time percentage is determined by a ratio of the arc on time to thework time, and comparing the arc on time percentage to a stored goal forthe arc on time percentage.
 28. The method of claim 10, wherein the userviewable dashboard page comprises: a plurality of graphical indicia,wherein each of the plurality of graphical indicia is representative ofan acquired parameter of the plurality of acquired parameter comparingbetween the at least two shifts; a status button that causes a status ofthe plurality of metal fabrication resources to be displayed on the userviewable dashboard page when selected; a productivity button that causesone or more productivity parameters to be displayed on the user viewabledashboard page comparing between the at least two shifts when selected;and a goals button that causes at least one of the acquired parametersto be displayed relative to a stored goal for the acquired parameter onthe user viewable dashboard page when selected.
 29. The interface ofclaim 14, wherein the first subset of the acquired data corresponds to afirst shift, a first department, or a first location, and wherein thesecond subset of the acquired data corresponds to a second shift, asecond department, or a second location.
 30. The interface of claim 29,wherein the graphical indicia of the user viewable dashboard pagecompare the first shift to the second shift, the first department to thesecond department, or the first location to the second location, withregard to welding proficiency, efficiency, or productivity, or anycombination thereof.